It's one thing to be a remarkable volunteer and give of your time and talent to the community, helping countless others and making the world a better place.
It's another thing entirely to do all of this while you're still in grade school. As unbelievable as it might sound, St. Albert has some stellar volunteers, even as young as six. There's no way to thank all of them, but the Community Information and Volunteer Centre knows how to thank some of them.
This is the 17th year that the CIVC has paid tribute to these youthful humanitarians through its Leaders of Tomorrow Awards. Pat Phelan, the agency's director of volunteer centre services, is incredulous at how lucky this city is, time and time again.
"Every year they keep coming," she exclaimed. "The winners this year are just outstanding."
"The beauty about young people coming up is … those are our future community leaders. Take a minute and speak to one of these young people and you'll be blown away. They are so bright, they are so in tune with what their gift to the community brings, and they're so young. They certainly are an example for others."
This year, the crop of youth volunteers was so outstanding that the CIVC even created a new award: the Youth Volunteer Philanthropy Award. No one will be surprised by the winners of the inaugural prize, only that it hasn't been given out already.
Phelan ended by saying that even though not everyone can win an award, there are no down sides to volunteering.
"Volunteering is a win-win. That's the biggest awakening for young people: they realize that by going out into the community and giving of their time, they network, they meet people, they make connections to the community that are so important for their lives."
Haley Kuchar – age category six to 12 years
Albert Lacombe School is lucky to have Haley Kuchar as one of its own. The 12-year-old was inspired by a Me to We youth rally last year and "emerged as a natural leader," wrote Joan Tod, the school's principal, in her nomination form.
Soon after the rally, Kuchar approached Tod and the administration team to create a Pink Day, a way of stopping bullying at the school. That happened in November with much of the school's population wearing pink to support the cause.
Tod continued that the young student has a strong ability to organize the masses.
"Her passion was part of the reason our group expanded from eight students to a student leadership committee of over 30 students."
Kuchar has also been on Albert Lacombe's safety patrol since 2011 and has worked as a lunch monitor since last year. She was instrumental in leading a group of Grade 6 students in making a video about creating positive change, and helped with a project to benefit a women's shelter.
Katie Fitzgerald – age category 13 to 15 years
The middle teen years seem to present no challenge for Katie Fitzgerald. This Grade 10 student at Paul Kane has a lot of things figured out, the most important one of which is that she lives to give.
"She just is so busy," said her mother, Alberta, explaining why Katie was unreachable by phone. "It just never ends. She just likes to be into things, and diverse things. It's not just sports. It's not just singing. It's not just art. It's not just photography. It's just everything. I'm in awe of it."
Katie was a recent winner of one of the International Women's Day Awards, an event sponsored by the St. Albert Bahá'í community, and for good reason. The honour called her a "Youth Activist and Volunteer Extraordinaire."
The 15-year-old's résumé for community service runs two pages long, single-spaced. It includes a span of human and animal aid agencies, environmental causes, community celebrations, service groups, sports events, health advisory councils and more, all starting back in 2009 when she volunteered for the children's festival. There are 34 separate items on the list.
If anyone thinks that all of this work must have a negative effect on her studies, think again. Alberta stated that Katie is also an honours student.
She also plays on the PK Blues basketball team, and they're having a pretty good year too.
Lindsey Johnson – age category 16 to 18 years
The children's festival is a good place for budding young volunteers to get their start. It worked for Katie Fitzgerald and it worked for Lindsey Johnson. The 17-year-old has been a youth ambassador for the fest for the last six years.
But that's not all. She has volunteered more than 300 hours in the last year alone for a variety of causes that are close to her heart. After a Rotary Leadership Camp in 2012, she joined Interact, Rotary's high school chapter at St. Albert High, and ran a fundraiser that brought in $2,300 for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society. Then there's her work with the St. Albert Kinettes, the Salvation Army, Special Olympics Canada and the Life Saving Society, part of her work as a lifeguard at Fountain Park Recreation Centre.
"She works with people of all ages, from two months to 75 years old," reads her nomination form. It adds that her specialty is working with people with mental or physical disabilities.
Amanda Magyar – age category 19 to 21 years
Being a Girl Guide has given Amanda Magyar not only the know-how but also the interest of helping the community and beyond.
"I grew up giving back to the community and now it's just a part of who I am. I really want to make a difference in the world," she wrote, regarding her volunteer experience. "I want [youth] to know that there are limitless possibilities when it comes to making a difference."
This is her 14th year with the Girl Guides, leading a Brownie and Guide unit for the last two, but St. Albert first took notice of this young woman in 2011 when she started up the Birthday Bags for Kids in Need. She has also been involved with the Community Services Advisory Board, the St. Albert Food Bank, the children's festival and others.
If that wasn't enough, she also gives the gift of life, donating blood every 56 days.
Last year, she was one of seven locals to represent the St. Albert leg of the Rick Hansen Relay. Later, she was picked out of thousands across the country to run the final leg in Vancouver, handing the baton back to Hansen himself.
She was also a recent recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.
Hands of Hope – Youth Group category
The social justice committee at école Marie Poburan works to build awareness of global issues within the elementary school. This year, the group of 13 started by fundraising to help kids who receive help from Catholic Social Services.
"Our students decided that it was important to them to allow those children the same opportunities they have," reads teacher Kara Weis' nomination.
They achieved this goal through various means, including making and selling Christmas gifts, but also by talking to other students to raise awareness.
Now, nearer the end of the school year, they have set their sights on something a little farther aloft. They are working to raise $1,000 for the Oblate Mission in Kenya.
Bellerose Bike-a-Thon Leadership Class – Youth Volunteer Philanthropy Award
The CIVC is announcing a new award category and giving it to a group that exemplifies the love of humankind.
The Youth Volunteer Philanthropy Award is being given to the Bike-a-Thon Leadership Class at Bellerose High School. For 10 years running, the charity event has grown in scale and scope, to the point where it practically preoccupies the entire student body. None of it would be possible without the Student Bike-a-Thon Committee, a group of stalwart volunteers who spent countless hours planning out the immense event and then putting it all into action.
"They understood that in order to make a difference, they were required to work together," wrote Sue Leighton, a driving force behind the event since the beginning. "Together, they exceeded all expectations."
This group previously won the CIVC's youth group award in 2009. The previous year, it was named as the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraising Group by the Association of Fundraising Professionals during its annual Philanthropy Day Awards.
The Bike-a-Thon is known as the largest high school fundraiser in western Canada. To date, it has raised close to $1 million for cancer charities, with more than $270,000 brought in this year alone.
